Metallic building construction



H. JENTZER METALLIC BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed June 9, 1 939 July 29, 1941.

FIG. 1.

s sheets-sheet 1 TOR NE Y July 29, 1941. H, JENTZER METALLIC BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 9, 1939 I NvENToH z HENRY JEN TZEHv ArroHA/EY 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 H. JENTZER METALLIC BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed June 9, 1939 INvENv-o HENHYJEN TZER July 29, 1941.

ATTORNEY Patented July 29, 1941 `?,"UN1TED STATES PATENTv OFFICE 3 Claims.

My invention has relation to improvements in metallic building construction and consists of the novel features more fully hereinafter described in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

The invention is directed primarily to the wall construction of buildings, the respective elements of which, studding, sheathing, etc., are oi metal with effective insulation between the outside and inside surfaces of the wall, all of which elements have been prefabricated so that on the site of the building erection is the only construction required.

The primary object of the invention is to pro-j vide a reproof building construction at comparatively low cost and that does not necessarily require the services of skilled mechanics.

A further object of the invention is to provide interrelated parts that are adapted for rapid assembly into a strong, durable building.

Other advantages inherent in my improved building construction will be better apparent from a detailed description thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a finished building embodying my improved construction; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same building before the sheathing has been put in place; Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal cross-section taken through a corner of the building on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional detail taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional detail taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through the corner of the building similar to that shown in Fig. 3 except that it is considerably enlarged; Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional detail taken on the line 'I 'I of Fig. 1 with parts broken away and on the same scale as Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional detail taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 1 and on the same scale as Figs. 6 and 7; Fig. 9 is a greatly enlarged vertical crosssectional detail taken on the line 9 9 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of a special shape of strip for retaining the sheathing in place.

Referring to the drawings, B represents a building of conventional design embodying my improved construction wherein studding members I, I, etc. rest upon a shoulder 2 formed in the concrete foundation 3. 'I'hese members are secured to the portion of the foundation 3 above the shoulder 2 by means of lag screws 4, 4 or equivalent devices. In the present instance the studding members I are Z-shaped in cross-section (a1- though this shape may be varied if desired) and are spaced approximately 16 on center according to the usual practice.

By referring to Fig. 3 it will be observed that there is no studding I at the corner of the building, but instead the member I forming-a part of side wall w and the member I forming a part of end Wall w are set back a short distance for the purpose of forming a rounded corner on the building in a manner presently to be described.

The studding members I, I', I preferably extend to the height of a story and have a structural member 5 extending across their upper ends and secured to them in any desirable manner, said member 5 serving` as a plate on which the roof R. of the building is carried. lI"he specific construction of the roof does not form a part of the present invention and will not be further described.

Specially formed metallic strips 6 (Fig. 10) extend transversely across the studding member I in uniformly spaced relation and are secured to the outer flange 'I of each of the studding members I. The strips 6 are bent from sheet metal inV such form as to provide a flange element 8, a seat member 9 transversely to the flange member, a slot I0 and a flanged portion II having a double bend so as to provide a slot I2. The flange 8 of the strip is provided with a number of holes I3 arranged in pairs as shown, whereby the strip is bolted by means of bolts I4 to each of the studding members I. The strips are positioned on the studding members with the open side of slot I0 at the top of the strip and the open side of slot I2 at the bottom for receiving the bottom edge of one section of sheathing and the top edge of the next adjacentsection of sheathing.

Each section or sheet of sheathing I5 is offset slightly so as to provide a shoulder i6 adjacent to the upper edge of the sheet (with respect to the manner in which the sheet is placed on the building) and is also off-set so as to provide a ledge I1 and a downwardly extending tongue I8 at the lower edge of the sheet. As shown in Fig. 7 the special strips 6 serve to hold the respective sheets I5 of the sheathing in place without the use of rivets or bolts Vor other securing devices since each sheet I5 has its tongue I8 resting in slot Ill of strip 6, the sheet being carried by means of its offset I'I on the seat 9 of the strip and having its upper edge nested in slot I2 formed in the ange II of the strip.

At the corners of the building (Figs. 3 and 6v) u. there are arcuate strips I 9 bolted to the end studding members I', I and articulating with strips 6 of wall w and wall w so as in eiect to form a continuation thereof. The strips I9 are of the same cross-sectional shape as the strips 6 and receive arcuate sheets of sheathing 20 in the same manner as the sheets I5 are held by upper and lower strips 6.

In order to avoid the conduction of heat or cold from the outside of walls w and w to the inside thereof, suitable heat insulating material 2l is interposed between flange 'I of studding member I and flange 8 oi strip 6. The adjacent vertical edges of sheets I5, I5 are held together by what may be termed a sealing strip 22 which is formed (Fig. 6) so as to present open slots 23,`

23 outwardly to receive the sheets I5, I5.

Suitable metal lath 24 is secured inany desirable manner to inner ange 'I' of the studding members I, I, I, etc. over which plaster is laid according to the usual practice. Suitable insu-V lating material 25 is packed within the space between the sheathing I5 and the metallic lath 24.

Fig. 2 shows a framed opening Il in which is secured a metallic easement window 26. The frame 21 of the window is provided with an outer liange 28 around the entire margin of which is a slot 29 to receive the adjacent edges ofthe sheathing I5. The construction of the window will not be described in detail as it forms the subject matter of a separateapplication filed of even date herewith.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A sheathing retaining strip comprising a base flange, aseat member adjacent thereto, said base flange and seat being formed to provide a slot therebetween; said slot opening upwardly and coextensive with the base liange, and a flange projecting downwardly from said seat in fili spaced relation with and overlying the base flange, said latter ange having a slot formed therein, the last mentioned slot opening downwardly, being parallel with the rst slot, and coextensive with the base flange.

2. A sheathing retaining strip bent from sheet metal to provide a base flange, a seat bent outwardly from the base flange to provide a slot therebetween, said slot opening upwardly and coextensive with the base ange, and a retaining flange bent downwardly from the seat and formed to provide a slot coextensive with the base ange, open oppositely to, parallel with, and overlying the rst mentioned slot.

3'. In a building construction, the combination of metallic sheathing plates and horizontally disposed retaining strips therefor, each strip having a base'iianga'a seat element projected upwardly and forwardly therefrom to form a slot between base flange and seat, said slot being coextensive with the ange and the seat and open upwardly, each strip also having a securing flange extending downwardly from the seat in spaced relation with the base ange, said securing ange having a slot formed in it opening downwardly coextensive with the base flange and parallel with and overlying the rst slot, said plates each having a ledge resting on the aforesaid-seat and a tongue extending downwardly from said ledge disposed inthe ulclwardlyA open slot, and said plates each having anl upwardly extending tongue slightly offset with relation to the'balance of the plate, said tongue being disposed in the slot of the securing ange, whereby the strips and the plates g collectively form a substantially plane surface.

HENRY JENTZER. 

